DDay : The Day of the Dragon
by BlacKlocK
Summary: The Oblivion Crisis has been over for ten years now and life is back to normal. But suddenly dragons appear over the skies of Cyrodiil and the province is again at war with a seemingly unstoppable force. But only one knows the price to pay for victory.
1. Chapter 1 : In the Beginning

**D-Day : The Day of the Dragon**

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**CHAPTER 1****: In ****The**** Beginning**

The Oblivion Crisis had been over for about a year now. Life in Cyrodiil had by now settled back to normal. The gates had stopped appearing and the statue of the god Akatosh in his dragon avatar had long been a popular attraction for the travellers passing through the Imperial City. The bards were busy composing songs even to this day and I remember a particular favourite, 'The Fall of Dagon'. Indeed, Mehrunes Dagon had fallen and it was all thanks to two men, the Champion of Cyrodiil, Matthias, and the son of the late Emperor Uriel Septim, Martin. The story is widely known, even my previous home, a small settlement hidden in the Valus Mountains, heard of it. So the story goes that Martin broke the Amulet of Kings and transformed himself into the avatar of the god Akatosh, a fiery dragon and broke Dagon's neck in a swift blow. I don't know how accurate that was but it seemed a bit too exaggerated to me.

But that is the past and the past was at my back as I shouldered my rucksack and headed towards God-knows-where on a seemingly foolhardy quest to make a name for myself in a world. That wasn't the complicated part. It was easy for an adventurer to make a name for himself, just bash a few goblins for some villagers and they hail you as a hero. But no, I wanted the real glory. There came the problem. Cyrodiil has seen the best warrior they had seen in years. And he came in the form of a Khajiit. The leopard-men were well known for being thieves and murderers and here was the Champion of Cyrodiil, a Khajiit. Matthias was the best and he could beat even the toughest in a few minutes without a scratch on his armor but with blood on his blade. I could only watch from afar. I was also a Khajiit and the world would see me as a wannabe, trying to be the Champion they all knew and loved. My cheeks burned with shame for a few moments as I left my decrepit shack behind in the village and headed towards new horizons. I never looked back. I guess I should have as my 'adventure' didn't go as planned.

I headed towards Bruma where the great Battle of Bruma had occurred. I relished the chance to pretend to drive my blade into an imaginary Dremora's chest. As I galloped silently into the mountains that were bathed in the first rays of sunlight, I thought of what kind of adventurer I would make. Certainly my low-grade iron gear and rusty steel longsword could not match the Champion's but I hoped to make some gold and trade it in for a new set of gear.

Bruma loomed ahead as snow started to fall. I had no problems identifying the battle site. The siege machine that had tried to destroy Bruma had toppled as the Oblivion gate collapse and made quite a landmark. To my surprise however, there was a Dremora Churl standing over the corpses of the fallen warriors. My heart gave a little jump as I saw there were two Blades amongst the dead.

The Blades were the secret guard of the Emperors, or the Dragonborn. It was not easy finding where they operated or even their identities. Rumours were a bound that my hero, Matthias, was a Blade but they were just rumours. I decided to make a little gold and best that Dremora in combat. I charged towards him and watched as he pulled a Daedric mace out and faced me. We strafed around each other for a few long seconds before he charged and I was knocked on my back. I couldn't breathe for a few moments in surprise, even though my breath had been knocked out by the sudden blow. Suddenly my heroism turned foolish and I knew I was not getting out of there alive without preferably decapitating the Dremora.

I gulped and hastily got to my feet but was knocked down again. This time the Dremora pinned me to the ground, his mace raised above my wispy straw-coloured hair. I glanced up in horror but noticed a boulder above the Dremora. I had to act fast. Breathing hard, I thrust my sword at the rock, a hopeless attempt at dislodging it. Fortunately for me, it loosened as my sword struck it. I kneed the Dremora in the stomach and pushed him off me as I dove for my trusty blade. He roared and gave chase. My hands were sweating and I was shaking uncontrollably as I grasped my blade. A few times it almost slipped but I held on to it like a lifeline. I rushed up to the road leading to Bruma and swerved off it. The Dremora had taken a faster route, a narrow ledge leading right up to the boulder. I panicked and hastily rammed my shoulder against the rock. It moved slightly. The Dremora was gaining. Then with a colossal effort I literally threw myself against the boulder and it dislodged, hurtling down towards the Daedra who gave a strangled cry and rolled down the hill. I heard a sickening thud and a cracking sound before I too rolled down the hill mainly in an exhausted faint.

I remember awakening to my horse bending over me. I grasped his thick strong neck and staggered to my feet, still shaking. After a swig from my waterskin, I felt a bit better. I gazed at the bodies around me and looked at the Blades in particular. Their skeletons were turned in different ways although I saw two steel arrows lodged in one's armor. After a few more mouthfuls of water, I bent down beside one whose gear was still intact. The other had lost his blade and I could not find it no matter how hard I tried. The armor was dull and rusty with age. But the gold trims were still beautiful and the overall set was pretty impressive. The blade was a two-handed sword and it felt good in my hands. The metal used to make the blade was sturdy and had lasted all this while. The handle felt rough and even my sweating shaking hands didn't drop it. I still don't know what possessed me to do it but I removed the dead Blade's armor and put it on myself. I left him as he was, a skeleton, and pleased with the armor, I mounted and trotted my horse towards the stables.

At the stables, I suddenly felt afraid and removed the Blades armor. I looked at the sword and hastily put it on the ground. I removed my armor and slipped on my old iron gear. It didn't feel as good to my disappointment but I didn't want awkward questions raised in Bruma. But the sword was not packagable and I had to slip it on my back.

Once in town, I booked a room for myself in a lower-class inn. The innkeeper was decent but I hurried to my room all the same. In my haste, I didn't notice a Khajiit watching me from the shadows of the inn. I also didn't notice as he followed me after putting his mug on the table. The armor was laid out on my bed and I looked at it, admiring the craftwork. I was about to lift up the cuirass to inspect a strange marking on it when someone threw me on my bed with a powerful force. I looked up as the armor went flying and there was a Khajiit in front of me. He quickly turned and bolted the door then stood in front of me, eyes narrowed. I took in his stocky powerful appearance with a mixture of awe and terror. He breathed heavily but he wasn't drunk and he cast an imposing aura.

"Who are you?!" I cried in terror as he reached down and stuffed the cuirass right under my nose. My whiskers tingled as I saw that strange marking on it that I was seconds away from examining.

"You see this little runt? This is the armor of the Blades! And not just any Blade, he was the ex-Grandmaster of our sect and he fell in the great Battle of Bruma. You dare take his armor and display it proudly for all to see? You dare take his weapon which he fell many a Daedra with and flaunt it around?" His force was a little raised but controlled although angry. I stared up into his eyes and had to look away, ashamed.

"I'm sorry! I was passing by and I saw a human-like Daedra and I... well... _killed _him and then I don't know what happened to me I just took his armor and..." I just drew to a stammered stop.

The Khajiit lifted his eyebrows as he heard my frantic confession. "You killed a Dremora? You're just a cub you. Maybe you do have skills, hmm."

I could only watch him from my frozen position on the bed. I wanted to shout that I was just a fraud, it so happened the rock was there, it was pure luck. But I couldn't. He gave me a look that made me feel like I was being scanned inside and out.

"I offer you an offer to join the Blades." He finally murmured softly. I looked at him in disbelief.

"Yes, I would love to join the Blades!" I almost cried but he was quick to reprimand me.

"Hush you! Our enemies are all around us. I will tell you more, later, but first you need to remove all your personal belongings from your rucksack, turn out your pockets and _stand still_." He growled.

I was only too happy to obey this strange request and as I removed my measly collection of items from my rucksack and turned out my pockets, I began to have a good idea who this strange man was. My belongings fell on the bed with a thud and at last I removed my sword and laid it on the bed gently. He watched with a serious expression on his face.

He set to work, examining each of my items and feeling my pockets to make sure I didn't hide anything. He made me lift my arms and ran his hands down my body like a guard would if you were arrested. I didn't move, didn't say a word. It seemed like a century before he finally stepped back.

"Very well, you have passed. You are not one of them. Follow me."

I kept silent and tried to figure out this confusing scenario. I stuffed everything back in place again, hoisted my rucksack over a shoulder, and followed him towards the door of the inn. Then I stopped and thought about the ten gold that I had forked over for my room. I didn't have much gold and it felt wasted.

"What's wrong cub?" He turned and looked at me.

"Err..." I tried to reply but it might sound selfish. I turned away and gestured for him to continue.

Suddenly he turned to the innkeeper. "Olav, how much did you charge this youngling to stay here?" I froze and tried frantically to make him see that I wasn't overcharged but he didn't listen.

"Ten gold, you know the usual Matt."

"Thanks." Matthias turned to me and grinned crookedly.

"I guess you know who I am now huh? Here, take fifty gold." He fished in his coin bag that hung from his belt. I heard the rustling of coins that told me he had far more than just fifty gold in there. He held out the money in his outstretched palm. I couldn't say no and he looked as if no was the wrong answer.

I nodded my thanks and he pushed open the door to reveal the bustling city of Bruma. After that we moved swiftly. He headed towards the stables and mounted his horse, a fine black stallion. I saw him tip the stablehand as he waited for me. The man grinned at Matthias, making me think he was a regular around here. My horse was at the end of the corral. He was a normal bay horse, not so fast but pretty strong. I mounted him and gave the stablehand five coins. He tossed it in his pocket and continued to enjoy his break on a bench.

My horse shied away from Matthias's black horse that didn't seemed too bothered.

"Come on. Houdini won't bite." Matthias called impatiently.

I coaxed my horse, Bashir, to move but he wouldn't and held his ground until Houdini and Matthias were far ahead. Then I tapped his flanks a little harder and set him off at a gallop up a discreet stone path leading up to the hills after them.

The snow that was falling thickly obscured my view but soon I saw a great stone fortress loom up over my head. I stared in awe but as my eyes passed over the watchtowers, I noticed two guards watching us. Suddenly, I felt afraid.

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A/N : Sorry if it's so cramped. I'd appreciate reviews, etc. etc. criticism is also welcome. Hey, nothing's perfect so theres bound to be something wrong. :). Oh, actually this is just some backstory on Silas. A prologue I guess. Chapter 2 continues from here, Chapter 3 is where the real story begins. They're up already, Chap 4 is coming. I also have a Harry Potter story coming along although it doesn't involve most of the original characters.

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**Disclaimer and Credits : **I do not own The Elder Scrolls 4 : Oblivion. Matthias is my main character in the game. Houdini is his horse, Bashir is his other horse.

TES 4 : Oblivion belongs to Bethesda Softworks and I hope it stays there. They rock :D.

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	2. Chapter 2 : The Blades

**CHAPTER 2: The Blades **

Unknown to me at that time, we had arrived at the Blades' fortress, Cloud Ruler Temple. I stared at the battlements, how thick the stone walls were and how fortified the doors were. But they swung open with ease as Matthias tugged on the iron ring welded into each door. He remounted and we continued our silent march.

The Blades were, to my surprise, mainly Imperials, Redguards or Nords. I saw only one Argonian, an Orc and one elf although I wasn't sure which kind. The Argonian wore the blue hood of a mage and he surveyed us through fierce eyes. His attire consisted of the Blades armor and a sword although his hood showed he was a mage. A Battlemage! I forced myself to look away as all the other pairs of eyes slowly turned towards me. The two Blades sparring with each other stopped. The Orc slowly turned and stepped forwards.

It was only ten in the morning and the place was buzzing with activity. Matthias led me and the horses towards the stable after dismounting. I too dismounted and followed him, leading Bashir behind me. The stable was a simple place, nice and airy with enough space for four horses. There were no others. I turned to watch the Blades slowly return to their business. Suddenly I saw with a slight pang that the Argonian was approaching me. Matthias had begun to slip on his armor and didn't notice the Argonian, or if he did, he didn't care much.

"Ah my friend, it is good to see you again. And who is this?" He eyed my slightly thin form with some surprise.

"Eh Ruin, your watch is over already? Ah yes, I see Parwen has gone to take your place. Excellant. Yes, this is..." He stopped.

I realised I had not told him my name since we had met. I swallowed hard.

"My name is Silas." I said to the both of them. I noticed Matthias gave me that strange look again but I tried to ignore him.

"Ah Silas, I am Ruined-Tail. They call me Ruin. And no, I am not the same Ruin from the books the Argonian's Tail 1, 2 and 3. If you have read it, Missing-Tooth or Mist, was my great-grandfather." He grinned then turned to Matthias.

I noticed Ruined-Tail's armor was not the same as Matthias's. The Khajiit had a dark brown armor, the gold trims polished until they shone. Ruin had a dull light brownish set that didn't shine and didn't seem much impressive at all. It was also the colour of the set that I had 'stolen' off the dead Blade. I was saved the effort of asking by Ruin noticing me looking back and forth from his armor to Matthias's.

"Hmm, you like the Blades' armor eh? You'll get one set too if Grandmaster Steffan accepts you into the Blades." I hated the word 'if' he used but Ruin seemed sincere enough.

Matthias whisked me away from the Argonian and we headed up the stairs into the main building. The Great Hall was warm and I longed to stand by the fire, that is until I saw the Grandmaster of the Blades. He was an impressive figure. He wore the same brownish armor as Matthias and he had a helm on but without a shield.

"What, a new recruit? Are you sure he's not one of our enemies?" Steffan demanded of Matthias.

"No sir, I checked. He hadn't a note or a book on him or any strange items at all. If a key could fortify the Magicka of someone then we are in trouble." I heard him chuckle.

"Hmm, sounds good. And no, a key doesn't work. Ruin's been on the case since we discovered how they were so powerful and he's confirmed keys don't work. If they do, those assassins wouldn't want to use it. It's too easy to lose." Steffan laughed. Then he turned to me. "Captain Matthias has suggested you, Silas, as a new recruit into our sect. And, I agree. He'll take you now to the armory and Thranger will outfit you with your new armor and any weapon you see fit from his selection."

After that, things passed pretty quickly. I was given a new set of armor and I chose the two-handed sword, the Dai-Katana although I wanted to keep the one I had found. It turned out that the armor and blade belonged to the ex-Grandmaster, Jauffre, who had fallen in the great Battle of Bruma. His elite armor had been removed and now sat in the Great Hall along with another fallen Blade's armor and sword. He had been given his older set of armor in respect to him, the set he had worn before Thranger the smith moved in. After Thranger set up shop, the Blades were issued rank-specific armor.

And I was right at the bottom of the pile.

I learned swordsmanship from the Orc, Kurz gro-Baroth and archery from Parwen. Ruin tried to teach me some alchemy and spells although I never did grasp it. In the end, we spent many happy hours sparring under the watchful eye of Kurz. I didn't see much of Captain Matthias but when I did get to talk to him, he was surprisingly easy to talk to. But I never did get used to his bright green eyes that seemed to go right through me.

After I advanced a little, he assigned me to watchtower duty taking over from Ruin who was spending more time than ever doing alchemy in the East Wing. When I wasn't doing guard duty, I was helping scrub Cloud Ruler until it shone, restocking the food and ale cabinets or riding down to the nearest stream to wash clothes. It doesn't sound like much fun but I enjoyed every second of it.

This continued on for ten long years. Then my life changed forever, almost overnight. Well it was overnight. I will never forget it. It was the day the sky turned blood red, just like during the Oblivion Crisis. But this was almost something worse.

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**Disclaimer and Credits : **As usual, I DO NOT own The Elder Scrolls 4 : Oblivion. Beth. Soft. does.

Ruined-Tail is from the book The Argonian's Tail 1-3 in the game (yes, I read them. I've read lot of the books in the game). He is also inspired by the mod Ruined-Tail's Tail. Kurz gro-Baroth is owned by Beth. Soft. too I think. They created him. Recruited using Toaster's Companion mod (yes, some shameless advertising). Same with Parwen. Grandmaster Steffan (Captain Steffan in the original game) is also Beth. Soft. created. Cloud Ruler Temple and the Blades are also created by Beth. Softworks. If you've gone through at least a quarter of the main quest, you'll know :P.

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	3. Chapter 3 : Blood Red Sky

**CHAPTER 3: Blood Red Sky**

It was an ordinary day. Cloud Ruler was buzzing as usual, the air filled with the sharp clangs of metal against metal and the familiar cries of 'Alls well sir!' as Steffan or Matthias passed by. I was now a seasoned swordsman although I insisted on running my old errands. Sometimes Matthias accompanied me but after a horrible incident in which he fell off a cliff while fighting an Ogre in the Great Forest, Steffan was literally grounding him to Cloud Ruler.

I called to Ruin who was sparring with Kurz in the training ground. He called back only to be struck with the flat end of Kurz's katana on the neck.

"Pay attention!" Kurz chided him.

I smiled. Ruin too laughed. I headed down the steps to where my horse waited outside the large wooden doors of Cloud Ruler Temple. Jed, Matthias's dog, was waiting outside. Matthias had let him follow me for some extra protection. I ruffled the dog's fur and smiled at him. I saw Matthias standing at a watchtower, looking over Bruma and I gave him a thumbs-up sign as I passed. He noticed and called back enthusiastically.

It was a normal routine. I headed down to Bruma and collected some food from Olav at the Tap and Tack. I rode back to Cloud Ruler and stocked the cupboards. Then it was some guard duty and sparring with Ruin for company.

Night came all too soon as it usually did at Cloud Ruler. I sat on the steps, watching the moon while chewing on my dinner. Then it was some reading and bed.

At night, I lay on my flat bedroll while staring at the ceiling. Matthias was on night duty but Ruin was beside me although his ceased tossing and turnings told me that he was sound asleep. I thought about why Matthias gave me that strange look when I told Ruin what my name was, ten years ago. It turned out that not many Khajiits were called by 'men's names'. He was just surprised by that fact and also by the fact that I didn't actively refer to myself in third-person unlike most of my fellow Khajiits.

And also the whole examining my personal belongings episode... it turned out that the Blades' enemies liked to carry about little scraps of paper or books or other strange items. It somehow gave them power... and also gave away their identities with ease. Most weren't much of a threat but it did make watching your back important.

But that was in the past and I learned so much more from Matthias and the other Blades in the ten years I had been at Cloud Ruler. I learnt things about the Blades, things about Matthias and the whole Oblivion Crisis as well as the true story of what happened at the Temple District that faithful day.

Another Dragonborn had been identified but they were having trouble getting him to accept his fate. But I don't dabble in politics, I prefer to spar and do my duties.

The night slowly dragged by and still I tossed and turned in bed. More than once I fingered my katana that lay next to my bed for I had a bad feeling about tomorrow. When at last I dropped off, that feeling had intensified but I thought nothing about it.

Suddenly I sat bolt upright. Screams and yells were coming from all around me. The beds were quickly emptying as everyone leapt out of bed and geared up with grim faces. It was at though Cyrodiil was at war again. And although I didn't know it at that time, we _were_ at war, but not with Daedric forces.

I hurriedly rolled out of bed and suited up quickly. Ruin was already at the door but he had stopped to wait for me. I slid my katana in its sheath on my back and headed out through the door. What I saw made my blood turn cold.

Large beasts flew overhead, dipping down occasionally and spewing fire everywhere. Cloud Ruler's watchtowers were already in flames and I saw in the distance, Bruma going up like dry cinders. Matthias rushed up beside me, his face shocked but serious.

"What are those?" I said in a choked voice as the stable burst into flames and our horses came galloping out at full speed.

The answer came as a shock to not just me, but to all of us. "They can't be anything else but dragons."

Everyone had started to run in all directions. Those that had trained under Parwen shot arrows at a beasts' wings. When he was forced to land, Kurz's warriors rushed forward and hacked at the dragons. But he was a fierce fighter even on the ground. I was one of them and I fought hard even though my comrades were being thrown around like ragdolls. One of them was even flung over the edge of Cloud Ruler to a very steep drop and a painful death.

Tears came to my eyes, hot angry tears and my rage built up even more as I dodged the dragon's claw. It cut through even the stone and lodged firmly there. But the dragon still had his teeth and one of my companions was chopped in half, armor and all, in no time at all. Soon the archers stopped firing as the great leviathans were more than a match for us. Indeed, they seemed to be like us. Their rage strengthened too as their comrades fell and they swooped low, claws outstretched to grab a screaming Blade in the air. We retreated further back.

The sky had turned red as blood and thunder was rumbling. Dark clouds covered the sky and hide even the stars.

"It's like Oblivion." One of the Blades muttered. We stood over the dragon and stared up at the sky, bodies around us and the stone floor of the fortress literally running with blood.

For the first time in my life, I felt a horrible sinking feeling. I rushed down with the others to help defend Bruma. It was horrible watching how the whole place was on fire. The heat brought sweat beads sliding down my neck as I held my katana in both hands. I know we had suffered horrible losses but I still saw Steffan and Matthias leading the way. I felt someone tap me on the shoulder and turned around, relieved to see Ruined-Tail there.

"Horrible isn't it? It's just like Kvatch back in the day. But I'm sure we can beat these dragons. They don't have a gate to Oblivion do they?" He chuckled, trying to inject some humour into the situation. I didn't really see it and we followed the Bruma City Guard's Captain, an older man by the name of Burd.

I hesistated for a moment, the atmosphere outside Bruma was almost peaceful with the snow-capped mountains against the blood red sky. But that wasn't my duty. I turned around and took a deep breath as Burd reached to open the Bruma North Gate. But as his gauntlet reached for the iron ring, it burst into flames and we fell back in horror. The door splintered and broke as a scaled tail smashed through the whole door. Another stream of flame flew over our heads and we charged inside. Everyone's faces were grim as we fought. I remember how difficult it was as the dragon's scales made it difficult for a sword to even cut through. But we persevered and soon we brought down the beast. All afternoon, although exhausted, we cut through at least three. But three was more than enough for Bruma. She was on fire and houses were either burnt or destroyed.

I gazed around after the battle and to my surprise, saw that the dragons' eyes still had a flicker of life in them. But even as I approached cautiously, not a breath escaped them. Not a flick of the tail, even a twitch of the muscle. I was mystified but let it slide as we had more pressing matters to attend to. The chapel was still on fire. And the worse thing was the bodies of our allies strewn around us. Those that were still alive were bloody but soon a little cheer rose up amongst them. I stared at them in disbelief but it grew louder and louder. Then I sighed for I knew we had won, for now.

A few days passed and there was no news from the other parts of Cyrodiil. We feared the worse. The surviving citizens of Bruma were now camping out in tents in the streets. We were like refugees. We survived by scavenging from the inns and people's houses. The citizen's clothes were dirty and ragged. Every day that passed, it began to be a race to see who would die first. We were all exhausted but unable to sleep should the dragons come again. Bruma was already beyond hope but they might come and we had to be ready to pick up sword and bow to fight them again. Soon Steffan came to me and Ruin.

"Well boys, we won here. But we need to see if this invasion has already ended. The brutes might decide to turn back. So I need you two to ride down to Chorrol and assess the situation. Help them if need be, Bruma cannot stand alone anymore. We will need help."

I felt that Ruin was thinking the same thing, the hope that the brutes will turn tail and go back to wherever they came from was slim but it was still a hope. And we grasped it.

"Yes sir!" We both cried and rushed to the stables to saddle our horses.

The hand met us at the door, leading our horses and crying "Hurry! May Akatosh guide you!"

We thanked him and we set off at full speed, hurtling over the worn stone path known as the Silver Road leading down to Chorrol. I had plenty of time to think then and I was thinking hard. The dragons were supposed to be extinct. They had all died in Akavir a long time ago. But somehow they were here and alive. Something sank in my stomach. Had the fabled Tiger-Men of Akavir finally all became dragons? Did people even still live in Akavir? But why did they want to invade Cyrodiil? A thousand questions seemed to rush through my mind at the same time giving me a thorough headache.

The trees were on fire and they swayed in the cold breeze that had suddenly hit us. It seemed to never go away and I was soon chilled to the bone. It was like in the mountains here, where the trees were green and the weather was usually very hospitable.

As we passed the waterfall where I usually washed the clothes, we heard a rumble above us. I looked up and saw two dragons who were looking right at us. We met eye-to-eye and I felt a shudder go through me.

"Hurry Silas! We've got to get to Chorrol fast!" Ruin cried.

"No! We can't lead them to Chorrol! They've got enough to deal with at the moment!"

I didn't know what to do but my brain was almost screaming for me to go back to Bruma. The guard there was ready and although I didn't want anymore casualties, there was no other choice. It may have been a stupid thing to do but I dug my heels into Bashir's flanks. He reacted instantly and charged up a small side-path beside the pool where the waterfall ended. We rode hard and the dragons pursued us. I felt they were taunting us because they could go faster but they stayed behind us. I didn't even dare to wipe the sweat off my brow as it slid down my face. I could hear our horses' sharp intake of breath as we pushed them harder and harder. I heard the swish of the dragons' wings and the rustle of the trees as they crashed through the canopy of leaves created by the tall growing trees.

We galloped across the bridge on a path back to Bruma. I had a foolish thought for a moment, maybe we could lose them in the forest as the path led to Sancre Tor, the ancient Blades temple. We would have to veer off into the forest sooner or later. I hoped that would be the case but as we were about to cross the bridge, a dragon swooped down and caught me in his talons. I saw his eyes up close, almond-shaped and glowing with some fearsome force. His skin was a venomous green and his eyes were a dirty yellow. I can never forget those malevolent eyes. As I was lifted into the air, I yelped in surprise and saw Ruin freeze in shock. I felt that the world was about to end as I dangled from the beast's claws. It dawned on me that I was now the prey and no longer the hunter.

I closed my eyes and prayed to the Nine Divines to spare me. I thought of Matthias's tale of Akatosh defeating Mehrunes Dagon, maybe he could save me now. I was wildly thinking of ways someone else, mortal or divine, could save me when the other dragon rammed himself into the dragon that had snared me. I heard them collide, their scales scraping against each other and the ferocious snarl that came from one of them.

I fell and I saw the other dragon watching me for a second and looking as though about to dive to catch me when the other one, furious, attacked him. I couldn't watch as I braced myself for impact. I crashed headlong into the water and sank like a rock, my armor and my dai-katana dragging me down. Overhead, I could hear distorted sounds of fighting but two things kept racing in my mind, parallel to each other.

_Where is Ruin? And would I get out of here alive?_

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A/N : Okay, the real story is finally starting hehe. Hope you enjoyed it. I'll try and get Chapter 4 up soon. Criticism and praise are equally welcome (although you know which I prefer).

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**Disclaimer and Credits : **Same drill, Bethesda Softworks owns The Elder Scrolls 4 : Oblivion. Most of the names used here are also owned by them.

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	4. Chapter 4 : The New Constellation

**CHAPTER ****4 ****The New Constellation**

My mind just went blank. The water current was strong and I kept being swept under due to my heavy armor and lack of strength. I shut my eyes tight and prayed to the Nine to spare my soul. Then just as water started to pour through cracks in my once tightly shut lips, strong claws hooked into my armor and dragged me above the surface. I gasped and choked, coughing and not daring to open my eyes. The air was frigid and I started to shiver. Water dripped from my hair onto my face so I was forced to shake myself like a dog.

Finally I opened my eyes and looked up to my saviour. I had a faint feeling I would not see Ruin there and I was right. My heart sank as I realised I was being hung from the claws of a great winged beast, a dragon, and travelling many hundred feet above the ground. The air was also thin and I struggled to breathe, stay warm and to stay calm. I screwed up my eyes again as we travelled. I could hear the beast's wings beating and I could feel us almost gliding at times through the air.

Then suddenly the air was warmer and all was still. I opened my eyes and looked around me. I recognized the cities displayed before me but didn't realize where we were. The grass was golden but to my left, was slowly turning gray. Then I understood. We were in the Colovian Highlands. _Barren wastelands_. The dragon released me and crouched on his muscular hindlegs, watching me like an interesting curio. I turned away and removed my helmet. Somehow I knew I wasn't his lunch, or was it dinner? The sky was turning a beautiful mix of red, pink, orange and yellow. Sunset. My stomach did growl a little but I paid no attention. I laid my helm next to me as I sat on the side of the hill we were on and buried my head into my crossed arms laid on my kneecaps. I left my ears sticking out to listen out for the dragon but inside I was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

Somehow, I was alive. Somehow, he wasn't going to butcher me. But my thoughts drifted back even further. My friends, left behind. I noticed the cities of Anvil, the newly rebuilt Kvatch and majestic Skingrad were on fire. The winged behemoths had disappeared but they left a lasting impression. Suddenly I heard gurgling growling noises from behind me. I turned sharply, my hand instinctively falling on the hilt of my blade but the dragon looked almost sad as he followed my gaze. Now he was right behind me and I saw and heard him cry a mournful crooning tune to the sky. I couldn't help but listen, transfixed, until he stopped.

"Its sad. How all these wonderful results of hard work can become mere tinders in hours. It wasn't supposed to be like this." I watched him carefully, a little surprised that he was capable of our speech, as his eyes fell onto his claws. They weren't like any dragons' claws as there was a faint line of red running through the black.

He was a massive beast, his wings were carefully folded now but they were as long as two or more men. Claws rose up from each tip. His hide was a shade of dark green. The plates of hard bone running down his neck, chest, belly and tail were a deep gold. I was faintly reminded of golden sunrays shining down through a thick canopy of trees in the forest. He had spines down the back of his neck, like a Daedroth. Horns protruded from the back of his head. His horns were golden as well as his spines. But his claws were black. There was still that red line at the bottom, like a fragile thread of life. Four claws with a claw like a thumb of the side of his scaly paw. His feet had four. Unlike a Daedroth, his head was more slender and reptilian. His body was slender and built for speed and stealth but I had no doubt he was capable of much more than that. At last my own golden eyes reached his. They were also golden and his pupil was black. I quickly looked away as he noticed my gaze.

"Do you not feel the cries of many for aid rising out from those cities like forgotten souls?" His question caught me off guard.

"Of course I do," I spat at him. Did he not realize what his kind had done? "We toiled away building our cities. Ten years ago that city," I pointed to Kvatch. "Was burned to the ground and we rebuilt it. And now you come along and sweep away that hard work like it was nothing. So many homeless, so many dead," I thought with a shudder of Ruin. Was he dead? I knew some of my comrades were dead. My brothers in arms. "You don't know what you've done do you?"

I saw his eyes glint in the faint light of Tamriel's twin moons.

"I do. It wasn't supposed to be that way! We too lost our homes to those monsters in Akavir and we have been living a life not many want to live. It was so cold and whatever we did, there wasn't any satisfaction in it. Until our old Patriach died and a new one rose. Then he promised us a new life. He breathed hope into us. He told us tales of a new empire where dragon and men live together. But now... what empire? Is this our new empire? This motiveless carnage...?" He trailed off.

I watched him, anger still etched in every premature line in my face. I turned away, my blood boiling.

"But I want to help." He now sounded desperate. I turned towards him. "You've got to trust me. And I'm the only way you can defeat my brothers without suffering huge losses. I know our weaknesses and our strengths. I am one of them."

I listened to him and a new light dawned on me. He was right. But I was a little suspicious.

"Then tell me, why did you save me? Why did you fight your own brother? Why did you prevent him from killing Ruin and I?" The endless mantra ran through my head. Why, why, why, why, why, _why_?

"He supports our new Patriach's idea of a better world. And he supports his wanton massacre. He also wanted to kill you and that lizard. For nothing. I had to do something so when he grabbed you, I attacked him. He flew off, storming that he would report this to our Patriach. I'm already on shaky ground with him... but that is my story. You have to trust me."

He repeated the request and looked at me through those bright eyes that showed the desperation of a man fighting a losing battle.

"I... trust you." I said. I knew I had to. We needed each other now. I had no more future alone, my life had been shattered by this invasion of sorts. And by the looks of it, he was also an outcast now, thanks to his actions of doing what was right. The dragon looked relieved. "Well, now that we're stuck together now, what's your name? I'm Silas and I'm a Khajiit."

"Silas..." He rolled my name around his tongue. "We dragons have no names. Well some do but I don't. We go by rank and number. I'm Scout 23 or 2,3. 2 being my rank and 3 being my number. So if we change rank, we change name. It is complicated."

I stared at him. I couldn't call him Scout 23. Scout also sounded official. He also seemed to be one of the more senior members of his sect.

"Well... would you like a name?" I proceeded carefully.

To my surprise, "Yes, very much." He looked a little happier at that.

"Hmm. How about Peryite? He's a Daedra Prince that takes on the form of a dragon." But even in the low light, I could see he looked a little offended.

"I do not wish to be called by the name of Daedric origins." He straightened his neck and crooned a soft tune.

"How about Akatosh? He's one of the Nine Divines. A dragon." I could see that he was considering it.

"A gallant name is Akatosh. But he saved you from destruction, people see me as causing the destruction."

I saw he was watching a formation of stars in the distance. They looked like an ordinary cluster of stars yet I knew something was different about them. Then it hit me, they were glowing bright red.

"A new constellation... the dawn of a new era." The dragon muttered. He swivelled his flexible neck to look at me. "They call it the Draconian cluster. Or Draco."

I watched it as each star twinkled. I knew the arrival of the dragons had caused something to happen and now a new constellation had appeared. But something also lit up in my head. I turned to him with a playful grin on my face.

"What about Draco?" I asked him, still grinning broadly.

"Ah, Draco. It rings in my ears. Many tales of strife and death surround the constellation Draco in my homeland of Akavir. They say a dragon was defeated by a hero and the dragon's soul rose up to join the stars. That's Draco," He pointed to a long line with an arch. "You can see the arrow that struck him in the chest in the story." He pointed to the line sticking out of the original line. With a little imagination, I saw it. Many more stars made up the dragon and soon it began to resemble a dragon instead of a few lines.

"So, Draco it is?" I looked up into his golden eyes that twinkled in the moonlight.

"Yes, Draco it is." And he stretched his neck to the heavens and began another song, this time with some happy notes.

* * *

A/ N : I just realized where this once-great idea came from, it's a film by the name of Dragonheart. I hope you don't find it too similar to that film. I've only read it once and the book's missing now but some ideas are so remarkably similar. Just a heads-up.

Disclaimer and Credits : Draco is a constellation in the northern hemisphere. I've realized most of this story's material is actually influenced by a film by the name of Dragonheart. Kudos to them.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5 : Draco

**CHAPTER ****5 :**** Draco**

We had stayed up that night, talking of nothing in particular. I noticed Draco seemed evasive of my questions, some he answered with spirit, even jest, but some he meticulously avoided. He especially avoided questions about his past and some questions about the future.

The next day, my limbs and body were stiff from sleeping in my armor and my stomach was rumbling. A simple meal of flamed venison the night before had satisfied me but now I found myself longing for something Cloud Ruler used to serve for breakfast. Draco was curled up, snoring softly. I decided to creep off and try to find some sign of life in the nearby Imperial Reserve.

The ground here had evidence of being charred by fire. I slid down the hill we had stayed on the night before and made my way through the golden grass that grew here. But I saw nothing except a single lone farm house in the distance. After half an hour of hiking, I reached there. It was recently abandoned although the crops were unharmed. I sat down on the steps leading up to the house and chewed my way through a vegetarian breakfast. I was about to get up to go back when a shadow fell over the house. I looked up, my hand on my sword again when Draco landed right in front of me. He looked unimaginably cross.

"Wandering off by yourself eh? What if you got lost?" Draco muttered while eying the vegetables I had managed to carry in my arms.

"I suppose you don't eat vegetables but I wanted to give these to the refugees. We're a long way from any city and I don't think they have food." I felt a little foolish because Draco always seemed wise.

He snorted. "How are you going to get there? Walking will make you scarf these greens down before you get anywhere." Draco scoffed.

"I don't know, I'll have to find a way wouldn't I?" I scowled at him, stung at being ridiculed.

"Why don't we go together? I'll fly there. It took me very little time to get here from that forest yesterday since I flew as fast as I could."

"The refugees will die of fright at the sight of you." I frowned. "Why don't you drop me near the city and I'll walk in while you find cover? That way they don't have to see you."

"That sounds... okay. But Silas, you're not being dropped off like a parcel. You're going to be a dragon rider." He chuckled.

"WHAT?" I was munching through an extra tomato and almost choked. I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing.

Draco flicked his tail lazily and smirked. Was he serious? But the part that was in disbelief in me collided with the part that longed to be free as a bird and soar through the skies. I sat down on the steps leading up to the farmhouse and thought about it carefully. It sounded crazy yet I was beginning to trust the dragon. I looked up at him. He was snorting small jets of flame out at passing insects, being careful not to burn the forest. It seemed he respected nature and all her creations, including myself. The thought was foreign as his dragonkin certainly didn't respect our hard work. But Draco _did_, and that made a world of difference.

But for now I merely shook my head. I pushed open the farmhouse door with my shoulder and walked inside. The place was evidently abandoned in a hurry. Tables were knocked over, broken pottery lay on the floor. The fire was snuffed out quickly but embers still burned, threatening to burn down the little cottage. I made my way through the ground floor and dumping my armful of vegetables into a small basket. That done, I wandered up to the first floor and to my surprise, saw that everything was intact. I opened a cupboard and saw a fine array of weapons and armor, well-kept gear that wasn't taken along. The drawers yielded clothes that were neatly folded.

I reached in and took out a brown vest. I donned it and also dug out a pair of trousers, apparently used for hunting. A pair of leather shoes followed. My armor I carefully laid on the floor, battered as they were, and I drew out a set of light, yet hard, leather from the cupboard. I threw them over the vest and trousers and was surprised that the whole thing didn't feel uncomfortable. I gazed fondly at my Blades armor, knowing that it wasn't convenient right now but they offered more protection. With a jolt, I realized I had all the protection I needed. _Draco_.

A sigh left my lips as I reached in and pulled out a steel shortsword and hung the sheath onto my belt. Satisfied, I headed back down and put out the embers still alive in the fireplace. Draco was waiting outside.

"Whoever lived here left everything here. Why don't we stay here instead of going back up into the hills?" I suggested while leaning against the door frame.

Draco considered this for a moment. "I hope you don't expect me to stay here like a faithful dog. Someone might see me." There was a certain understanding and mischevious twinkle in his eyes as he spoke.

My heart sank considerably. Against my will, I knew I would miss him. He was an interesting companion and he was willing to listen as well as speak. It wasn't so much I couldn't defend myself but I had been living with the same faces for ten years in Cloud Ruler. Finally I had a different kind of companion. "It's alright. But come around once in a while. I still want to help the refugees."

Draco nodded but he didn't take his leave. He just flicked his tail again and looked at me. I felt a little appearance conscious but pushed it out of my mind. "So what do you want do to now?" I asked.

In the end we spent the entire day hunting in the nearby Great Forest and collecting the pelts, skins and hides. I didn't ride on Draco's back, instead Draco herded the animals to me and I felled them with a bow I found in the house. That night, Draco flew off and I sat alone in the house curing the hides and making some into leather. I also strung some string I found through holes bored in the claws of the wolves we hunted and hung it around my neck, a reminder of our first hunt and how successful it was. It also made me realize what a great team we made.

The next day, Draco persuaded me to try dragon riding. I clambered clumsily onto his back, his rough scales enabling me to find footholds. During the whole process, Draco lay down on his belly and grunted impatiently as I kept slipping. Soon I found myself in a small niche just in front of his wings. When he rose to a standing position, I realized how massive he really was. We took off, staying in the Colovian Highlands away from any city. The whole forest, once lively, now seemed silent and cold.

Another night passed and the next morning, I decided that it was time to strip the farm of it's produce and deliver them to the nearest city, Anvil. I brought with me some salted venison from the deer and boar meat. The hides I left behind as they were heavy and wouldn't rot if left for a few days. We took off and Draco flew low. We landed near an abandoned town that had sprung up after the Oblivion Crisis. It was in flames. Draco stayed there behind the hills as I trekked towards the city.

I was nervous. How would they receive me? What if they had seen Draco? I walked into the city and gasped. It was just like Bruma, the once beautiful stone city was now gone. Instead of most of it being burnt, the whole place looked like it was knocked down with a warhammer. The refugees saw me immediately and fell silent.

The Anvil Guard Captain, Caledon Morlune, approached me.

"Who're you?" He was wary.

"Silas. I've got some food for the refugees." As I expected, they were suspicious but I saw they fell on the food like starving wolves on a deer as soon as it was distributed. If I wanted to poison the whole city, it would have worked beautifully. They were so hungry.

The Guard Captain asked no questions although I explained about the farm and hunting. He didn't even seem to be listening. I didn't mention Draco but I mentioned the burning of Bruma. I made up a tall tale about being carried off by a dragon and dropped in the forest. I didn't say anything about Cloud Ruler, or being ordered to go to Chorrol, or Ruin.

Suddenly I saw a familiar face in the crowd. As I drew closer, I realized the only thing familiar about him was his face. He was clad in a silver heavy armor and had a cape bearing the symbol of the Empire. He was polishing his sword, the one he had christened Akatosh's Might. I saw what looked like bloodstains on his armor and sword. He looked tired. Matthias turned to face me and I saw with horror that he had a belt with dragon claws on it. Though shrunken, they were black.

Noticing my gaze, Matthias laughed hoarsely. "Silas, we meet again."

"What are you doing Matt?" I asked him while gazing at his belt with a horrible sinking feeling.

"I hunt the beasts that destroyed all our homes, now. Although I haven't found any since we killed the ones back in Bruma. No more live ones, just dead ones. Maybe they're hiding, reforming. But I doubt we have won."

I thought of Draco, hiding just nearby. If Matt saw him... but how could one warrior defeat a dragon? I remember us struggling in greater numbers to just fell one. I put the question forth to him.

He just laughed. "I know where to hit them where it hurts now. Don't ask questions. Life here is hard now. We don't have enough food and we daren't venture out into the forest to seek farms that would surely have some greens growing. We only cut trees nearby to construct makeshift shelters in the ruins. We collect fish nearby and hunt game in the nearby Reserve but we daren't go too far. We forage for food in the shrubs and mushrooms. We salvage what we can from the ruins. It won't last us long but at least we have more food than the other cities... especially Bruma. Dark times descend upon us Silas. We also have a new leader." He spat the last sentence out.

"What?"

"He calls himself Jagar Tharn, just like that Battlemage last time. But he's not a Battlemage. He looks more like a warlord with his heavy black armor and two-handed war axe. He killed Ocato and took his place. Actually, he would have killed the whole Council if they didn't submit, terrified. He makes these dire times worse."

I remembered Draco moaning about something the night before. When I woke him up, he told me that he feared this would happen but wouldn't say more. He just stared into the forest and neither of us slept anymore the whole night, just sitting in silence.

Suddenly Matthias got up. I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, noticing how rigid and thick his armor was.

"What?"

"Where are you going?"

"To find some food for the refugees and to search for more dragons."

"So you're not a Blade anymore?"

"Silas," Matthias laughed hoarsely. "I was a Mercenary long before the Blades. I switch jobs all the time."

"So what're you now?" I put questions to him that he had already answered in part. I didn't want him to say it, didn't want it to be true. I didn't want Draco to be in danger.

"I told you already. I'm a dragon hunter."

I stared at him as he gave me a strange look and left. His words fell upon me heavily like a hammer. I felt hollow, empty inside. Suddenly my whole brain exploded with one message that shocked me into action, like a bolt of lightning. I leapt to my feet. I had to warn Draco.


End file.
